AI Ep02 Joe's Desire
by Lady-Sailor-75
Summary: David has found his happiness. But what about Joe? Is there anything that will create a desire within him?
1. Chapter 1

Three Years Later…

David stood by the bed and watched as Irene and Michael slept quietly and peacefully. Michael woke up first, saw David there, and smiled.

"Good morning, David," he said. "Let's let Irene sleep a little more. She was very tired last night."

"OK," David smiled. "I'll come with you."

In the kitchen, Michael started to get his coffee for the morning. He got his newspaper and started to read it as he sipped the coffee.

"Are you and Irene doing anything today?," David asked.

"No, we're not," Michael replied. "We're resting for a while, then we're going to go on another expedition."

"Am I going with you?," David asked.

"You and Joe are both coming with us," Michael replied. "Just like you two always do."

As Michael and David talked and planned, Joe walked into the room.

"Good morning, Joe," Michael said. "We were just talking about you."

"Yes, I heard," Joe replied. "Where is Irene?"

"Still sleeping," Michael replied. He set down his coffee cup. "Joe, please answer something. Why are you always asking about Irene?"

"I don't know," Joe replied.

Later that afternoon, Michael and Irene were alone on the back patio when he had to ask; "Have you noticed that Joe is always asking about you?"

"Yeah," Irene replied. "I know why, too." She looked at Michael. "Do you remember when Joe was rewired a little last year? I asked Justin and Jason to give him some of David's programming. He has the same emotion and love that David has now. He had a little before, but we amped it up some. He won't love the same way as David does, but love like friends love one another."

"Why did you do that?," Michael asked.

"Look at Professor Hobby's journal," Irene said. "David had dreams and desires. Before David was created, robots didn't dream. They didn't desire unless a human told them what to want. David set out to get something he desired. Nobody told him how and nobody told him what to want. He wanted it, alone. Maybe Joe will surprise us like that. I wanted to give him a purpose, a reason for existing."

"He had a reason already," Michael argued.

"Had," Irene agreed. "But once the new laws went into effect after he was to be destroyed, his reason went out the window. There are no more of his type being built anymore. So, he needed a reason to exist." She paused. "And I had it hardwired into him," Irene said. "I was afraid you might try to reverse it. Only I can do that. It's like a passcode."

Michael sighed. "He's your responsibility," Michael replied. "You don't think he would… go too far?"

"I turned down his drive, as far as that's concerned," Irene replied. "I knew that might help ease your mind about what I did to him. But, it's for his own good. He has a reason to exist now. He has a purpose, just like David does."

"OK," Michael reluctantly agreed. "But, if anything goes wrong, you use your code to turn him back to what he was before."

"I will," Irene promised. She yawned. "I am tired. I'm going to go take a nap."

"Are you OK?," Michael asked. "You seem extra tired lately."

"Michael, it's nothing," Irene replied. "Look after David."

Irene went to bed.

Michael was concerned, but thought that maybe a nap was all she needed. He went to the living room, where David was watching a new documentary about whales. Now that they were no longer hunted, their numbers were recovering and they were thriving.

"Wow," David watched and really liked what he was seeing. What magnificent animals they were!

Irene slept. Michael worked.

The next day, Michael drove into town to run a few errands while Irene introduced David to her horses. She still seemed so tired. Joe leaned on the fence and watched.

"There was a time when there were no motorized vehicles, David," Irene was explaining. "Horses are how people got around then. They had wagons pulled by horses or you could ride the horses."

"Why do people have horses now?," David asked. "Since we have the cars."

"They're pets," Irene said. "They're fun and they can love. We also ride them in shows and in races."

David liked the horses.

Inside the house, Michael had returned and was relaxing and watching television when he heard the back door bang open. Michael rushed to see and came upon Joe, carrying Irene into the house. Irene was completely limp and unconscious in Joe's arms. She looked pale and her eyes looked a little sunken.

"Did she fall off a horse, Joe?," Michael asked.

"No," Joe replied. "She was standing when she fell. She just fell."

Joe stopped, still holding Irene as Michael examined her face.

"Put her on her bed, Joe," Michael ordered. "Gently." He looked at David, who was following. "David, please stay in the living room."

Teddy kept David in the living room, watching television.

Joe placed Irene onto the bed as Michael got his phone and started to dial. As Michael talked in the other room, Joe stayed by the bed. He placed a hand on Irene's face and stared at her. Was she going to die?

Moments later, Michael walked into the room. Joe stood up and stepped back from the bed. "Joe, I need you to look after David and keep him out of this room for a while," Michael said. "There's a doctor coming here to see Irene."

Unknown to Michael, Joe stood right outside the bedroom and listened to the conversation in the room as the doctor examined Irene.

"She needs Lextenda," the doctor said. "Without it, the infection will kill her in a week."

"That's almost impossible to find," Michael said, realizing how dire the situation was. "Where can we get that?"

"The only city that has a supply is Memphis," the doctor said.

"I can't leave her," Michael said. "I'll start making phone calls now. Maybe one of my people can get it."

Joe left his spot by the door.

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	2. Chapter 2

"Why do you need to go?" David sat on the floor and looked into Joe's eyes.

"David, I'm coming back," Joe promised. "If Irene does not get what she needs, she will die. And I am leaving to get it. Michael needs to stay here with her and with you."

"Take me with you, Joe," David begged.

"I cannot do that," Joe replied. "I won't place you in danger. Stay here and help look after Irene. I promise, David, I will be back." After a brief pause, Joe went on. "And do not tell Michael where I have gone. If he asks you, tell him that you don't know where I am."

"Why?," David asked.

"Promise me, David," Joe pressed.

"I promise," David replied. "Hurry back, Joe."

Michael, still trying to get the medication, never noticed as Joe managed to sneak out of the house and to the fences. Joe was able to jump the wall. The fact that he was not human and gave off no body heat assured that the heat sensors of the alarm never detected him. Therefore, no alarm was raised and Joe was soon out of sight of the massive property.

David watched out a window until he could no longer see Joe.

"Will he be back, Teddy?," David asked.

"Joe belongs here, David," Teddy replied. "I think he will return as quickly as he can."

"What if the flesh fair finds him again?," David asked. "And what if somebody else finds him and keeps him? Or they destroy him like they were going to before?"

"Joe is smart," Teddy assured. "He will keep a low profile."

Though the original flesh fairs were illegal now, there were still the copycats that ran underground. There was no stopping these fairs at all. The originals had been under a strict "unlicensed models" only regulation so they would not destroy the machines that were indeed owned by somebody. The new ones had no rules or regulations and police were seldom able to stop them.

David was unsure if he would ever see Joe again.

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	3. Chapter 3

The full moon shone down on Joe as he used trees and foliage to stay out of sight. Knowing that some people still hated his kind and that flesh fairs were still running, Joe was very cautious and careful not to be seen unless it was necessary. He waited out any approaching headlights until the taillights were long gone.

As Joe walked quickly through the woods, he often found himself face-to-face with various animals. Most were harmless and more afraid of him than he was of it. He had not had much experience dealing with animals, except for Irene's dog. That dog, however, was a domesticated animal and loyal.

Joe stuck to back roads and maintained a low profile as he continued on his path.

At home, Irene was fighting a fever. Michael forced fluids and kept cold cloths on her forehead. David helped when he could. He spent most of his time reading to Irene and keeping her company. Michael assured him that she could indeed hear him and appreciated his help. "Keep letting her know that we're all here for her," he would tell David.

Through everything, Michael remained frustrated that David refused to tell him where Joe was. He was sure Joe had simply had enough and left for good. He didn't know what to tell Irene later, if she pulled through.

Michael's daily phone calls were not producing any results. He began to accept the fact that Irene would die in his arms. At least, she would not die alone.

Michael told the team that their expedition days may now be forever finished. They sent cards, letters, gifts, flowers, and prayers; all hoping for a full recovery. Upon learning of Joe's absence, they also started to look for him. They knew that Irene wouldn't be happy to know that he was missing. The more time passed that Joe was alone, the more likely he would end up in serious trouble.

Justin and Alexa started to check all the flesh fairs in the area. They were thankful every time one of these fairs had nothing that even remotely resembled Joe. Yet, that didn't mean that another fair had already found and destroyed him.

Jason, Shawn, and Kevin tried GPS locators. Irene and Michael had equipped both David and Joe with these, just in case. Yet, Joe was out of range to be located with these devices. Michael was sure the cause of all this was because of what Irene had done to Joe's data. She should have left well enough alone.

Unknown to Michael, Irene's intervention may actually be saving her life. If Joe were to succeed, she was right to do what she did. However, if he failed, it was all for naught.

In the middle of nowhere, Joe was still walking quickly towards the west, aiming for the small city of Memphis. Memphis had once been a thriving tourist city with several famous attractions, but was now a moderate city with people who were only trying to get by. The old "Mud Island" attraction still stood, but was shut down and fenced off.

As the sun rose the second morning, Justin and Alexa came to see Michael. They reported to him that there seemed to be no sign that Joe had ended up in any flesh fairs.

"What do I tell Irene?," Michael asked.

"Nothing yet," Alexa replied. "She's weak and she won't take any bad news well right now."

"Keep looking for him," Michael requested. "Try checking with any Cybertronics offices. They may have found him. And keep checking the fairs, too."

"Absolutely," Alexa promised.

"Is Joe coming back?," David asked as Michael closed the front door.

"We're looking," Michael replied. "David, please tell me what Joe told you. I won't tell him anything."

David paused. "He wanted to help mommy," David said. "That's what he said when he left. He promised that he'll be back."

Michael sighed. "Help Irene," he repeated. "He's going after what she needs." Suddenly Michael gasped. "She was right," he happily realized. "Joe is acting on his own desire! It worked!"

Michael grabbed his cell-phone and called Justin. "Mikey, I know where he's going," Michael said when Justin answered. "Do me a big favor; a favor for Irene also."

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	4. Chapter 4

As the sun rose the second morning, Joe could see a small run-down house that stood alone. There were several cows in a pen and some chickens running around. An old car, very old, was parked on one side of the house. Joe watched the house, trying to figure out the best way to get around it unnoticed.

Getting by unnoticed would not be easy, since there were three small children playing in the yard. Children are very observant and they would surely notice Joe. They would also likely stir up any adults that may be inside and that could be trouble for Joe himself. What if they were "that" type that hated his kind. They might also be the type to take him and never let him go. What to do?

Joe decided to go the long way around the house, trying to avoid being seen by the playing children.

As Joe had to cross a clearing, one of the children noticed the movement.

"Dad!," the boy called. "Daddy! Somebody is on our land!"

As a man with a shotgun came running out, Joe ran. Unlike his pursuer, Joe would not tire. All he had to do was keep moving until the man tired and gave up.

The father was fit, like he ran often.

"Stop there, you!," the man yelled. "You don't steal from me! Come back here or I will shoot!"

What would a bullet do? It obviously would not be lethal; Joe was not alive. But could it damage him enough that he would not be able to reach his destination?

The shotgun blast hit the dirt near Joe's feet. Joe kept going.

"You better hope I don't catch you!," the man yelled.

Finally, the man tired. He was puzzled as he lost sight of Joe. "What the hell?," he asked himself. He started to walk away back to his own house.

Joe slowed to a fast walk and found a large grove of trees to hide. He looked down and realized that the ankle of his pants had been torn. He raised the leather and looked. Synthetic skin had been shot off, revealing the lightweight titanium he had been built of. This was not good. He would have to be careful about hiding this.

"He made it, Alexa," Justin said as the couple watched Joe from a distance.

"Why did Michael ask us not to interfere?," Alexa asked. "Joe may need our help."

"Remember Hobby's journal?," Justin asked. "Hobby didn't interfere with David because he wanted to see how far he would go. Now that Irene has given Joe the same emotions as David, he has a desire for the first time since he was built. He has his own volition and he is determined to see it through. We'll only interfere if we have no choice at all."

"I just hope he's not damaged," Alexa replied.

"If he is, we'll deal with it when he gets back to his home," Justin assured. "I don't think he is. He's not stopping. He's still heading on towards Memphis."

Justin started the car and went on.

Joe stayed where he was for several minutes, making sure he was no longer being chased. That was too close. He couldn't afford to be slowed down for too long. Irene needed help; needed help very fast. If he didn't make it, what would happen to her?

Back at home, Irene was in and out of consciousness and not making much sense when she was awake. The fever was taking everything out of her. She wasn't eating and was having trouble keeping down any drinks that Michael fed her. Michael started to wonder if Joe would be successful. He began to prepare himself for the possibility that he would lose Irene forever. She didn't want to be frozen, like many people were now doing.

Irene had been raised religious and believed she was going Home when she died. She didn't want any human intervention to keep her from her better Home.

Michael would respect her wishes, but it would not be easy for him.

"David, read this one to her," Michael said one day as he handed David a new book. "Irene loves these religious books."

"OK," David agreed. He opened the book and started to read.

As Joe finally started to move again, the sun was getting low. A light rain pelted down on him now and he started to walk faster. He never knew that Justin and Alexa were watching and documenting his every move.

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	5. Chapter 5

The heavy downpour soaked Joe from head-to-toe as he reached the Mississippi River. Thankfully, he was waterproof; as was David and others like him. Water was nothing. Joe looked across the river and could see the land he needed to reach. His one problem: could he cross the bridge safely? Was one of the illegal flesh fair gangs around here? He watched for a moment as several cars crossed the bridge.

Because Memphis was no longer the big busy tourist city it once was, it was no longer flooded with traffic. Joe finally decided to brave it.

As Joe walked quickly across the bridge, he ignored all traffic and maintained a direct visual to where he was going.

"Hey, pal, ain't you got a car?," a young man's voice taunted as a car drove by and a flying glass bottle found Joe's arm. Joe continued and didn't respond to the people in the vehicle.

"He's too busy for us, boys," the driver mocked.

"He's not," the passenger in the back seat said. "He's Mecha. I didn't know there were any more of his kind here."

The car stopped and the three got out.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?," the driver asked. "Flesh fair after you?"

"Maybe he can't talk," the backseat passenger said. "What do we do about that, fellas?"

Before another word could be said, another car crashed hard into the boys' car, sending it off the bridge into the raging river.

"What the hell?," the driver screeched. "My new car!"

The three hurried to the riverside as the other car zoomed away. Unknown to Joe, the driver was Justin. Joe took that opportunity and ran towards land.

The city was not all that busy. Many businesses were closed and the buildings were boarded up. With no more tourism and many things in short supply, people had been forced to close down their shops and their dreams.

Joe made his way to a small clinic and watched it from across the street. After the place shut down that night, Joe made his move. He walked around back and found a door with several glass pane windows in it.

Joe punched his fist through one window pane. He reached in and unlocked the door. He entered the clinic and started to look around at all the drugs. He found the one he needed: Lextenda. It was a vial for use with syringes. Seeing this, Joe also stole several syringes. He placed everything into his coat inner pocket and left the clinic the same way he had come in. By the time police arrived to the silent alarm, Joe was long gone.

Joe knew that getting back home would not at all be easy. He still had to face the same dangers that he had avoided.

Joe crossed the bridge back into Arkansas and started back towards Little Rock once more.

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	6. Chapter 6

"I remember this one," Joe said to himself as he came upon the familiar home. This time, there were no children playing outside. "Maybe I can get by this time."

Joe moved quickly and quietly. Every leaf rustle was heard as he tried to hurry past the house.

As Joe reached the tree line on the other side of the property, he stepped onto a pressure gauge. Next thing he knew, Joe was dangling upside-down from a rope secured to a tree.

"Not now," Joe complained as he tried to free himself.

"Look what I got here," a man's voice said. "Son, is this the man you saw yesterday?"

"Yeah, that's him," the boy said.

"When you try to steal from me, you pay the price," the man said as he and his boy watched Joe.

"I was not trying to steal from you," Joe said. "I was passing through to get something to save somebody's life. I'm not a thief. I've never stolen anything."

"Dad?" The boy pointed to the exposed titanium on Joe's ankle. "He's not even a person."

The man looked. "Mecha?," he asked. "I didn't know they still made these guys."

"Please let me go," Joe begged. "Somebody will die if you keep me here. She's dying."

The man and the boy looked at Joe. "Who's dying?," he asked Joe.

"The woman who owns the home where I stay," Joe replied. "She's very sick and she needs what I have."

The man was not sure.

"I wasn't trying to steal from you," Joe said again. "Please let me go or this lady will die."

"Dad, sell him to the flesh fair," the boy said. "We need the money."

"Please don't do this," Joe said. "This woman will die if you do that."

Close by, Justin and Alexa realized what danger Joe was in.

"If they try to sell him, we'll pretend we're flesh fair people," Justin suggested. "We saw how far Joe will go. We know now that he'll follow his desire just like David did. We can't let Irene die."

"Yeah," Alexa agreed. "Let's keep an eye on this."

The man cut the rope, dropping Joe heavily to the ground. He took Joe's collar and dragged him back to the house. The man threw Joe into a storage shed and locked the door.

Joe pounded on the door and kicked it several times, to no avail. Now what could he do?

Now, Irene would surely die. Joe had failed. He had failed and would never see Michael, Irene, or David again. Joe… had… failed…

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	7. Chapter 7

Joe could see through cracks that the sky was dimming as the sun set that evening. He knew that he had to get out. Irene needed help; she needed help right now. Joe refused to give up. He kept looking for a weakness that he could exploit to free himself.

As Joe kept trying, he heard footsteps outside. "Hello?," he called cautiously. "Who's there?" He then saw the blue eyes of a little girl, maybe aged seven, peeking in at him. "Hey, little one," Joe greeted the girl. "Hey. Can you let me out?"

The girl giggled and looked at him. "Daddy called his friend," she said.

Suddenly, the girl ran away as heavier footsteps told Joe that the father was coming back. "I didn't tell you that you could talk to my kids, you know," the father said angrily. "And you've got somewhere to be going tomorrow."

"Why won't you let me save this woman?," Joe asked. "She's dying right now. Please let me save her."

"You're going to entertain a lot of people tomorrow," the man said. "And I will get some good money for you."

The man walked away. Joe could hear the man tell his children to stay away from the storage unit.

As the sun was rising the next morning, the door to the shed opened and another man stood there.

"My brother is a real jerk, I know," the younger man said. "He sold you to a flesh fair. But, I heard you talk about that woman. Is that true?"

"Her name is Irene," Joe replied. "She and her husband own the home that I stay in."

"Come on," the man urged. "I'll get you to the highway and let you go from there."

"Why would you do that?," Joe asked.

"Because I don't want to let that woman die," the man said. "My wife died last year. I know what that husband is facing now."

Joe followed the man to his car. The man drove several miles to the highway and parked alongside it. "Little Rock is that way," the man said as he and Joe stood on the side of the road. "Stay out of sight and be very careful. Save that woman."

The man got into his car as Joe ducked into the woods.

Joe trotted through the woods, kicking up dry leaves and dirt.

At home, Irene was now in almost a constant unconscious state. She seemed to be slipping away. Michael watched and prayed. He had not prayed for many years, but now he found himself doing so. He clung tightly to Irene's hand and talked to her.

David watched. He clung to Teddy.

"Is Irene going to die?," David asked Teddy alone that evening.

"I don't know," Teddy replied.

"I don't want her to die," David said. "I want to stay here forever. I want Joe to come back, too."

Teddy said no more. He didn't know what was going to happen in five minutes, five hours, five days, or five years.

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	8. Chapter 8

As the sun rose on the third morning, David heard a noise. He looked out his window and brightened up immediately. David ran downstairs and opened the front door.

"Joe!" David ran to Joe. Joe hugged David.

"Is Irene still here?," Joe asked.

"In her room," David replied.

David and Joe hurried to the master bedroom. Michael was sitting on the edge of the bed and clinging to Irene's hand. Hearing the footsteps, he looked back.

Joe, standing at the doorway, reached into his pocket and pulled out the casing that held the medicines and syringes. He extended the cases to Michael. "Save her" was all Joe said as Michael accepted the items.

Michael opened the case and saw the vials and read the labels. "This is it," he smiled. "This is what Irene needs." He immediately opened the case and prepared to use the medicine. He filled the syringe and injected it into Irene's arm.

"Will it work?," Joe asked.

"It's been three days, Joe," Michael replied. "Only time will tell."

Michael, David, and Joe stayed in the room and waited. After what seemed like hours, Irene woke up and took Michael's hand.

"Irene," Michael smiled.

"What happened?," Irene asked.

"It's OK, Irene," Michael smiled. "You're going to be fine now. It's all gonna be fine!" He looked at Joe, then at Irene. "Joe saved you, Irene," he said. "He did it all alone. I didn't tell him what to do or how to do it. He just did what he did."

Irene smiled. She hugged Michael tightly.

Over the next two days, Irene regained her strength and started walking around the house.

"He did it all alone," Michael told Irene alone one afternoon on the patio. "He just left and went out alone to get what you needed. You were right to give him the emotions. I should never have been angry at you for that. If you had not done that, I don't think you'd be alone now."

"Michael, we're keeping them," Irene said. "They may not be alive, but they're family now. We saved them both. And now, they saved me."

"Yes, I know," Michael replied. "They're staying. I promise."

Irene smiled.

Michael hugged her. "We don't break up families, Irene," Michael promised. "They're staying. We'll look after them and keep them safe for as long as we live. And we'll make sure there's somebody else to continue when we're gone."

"Our own kids," Irene said. "That's who will continue on." Irene rested her head on Michael's chest. "Our family."

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End file.
